There are many objects that require or are better utilized when inflated. Some examples of such objects include, but are not limited to, vehicles, bicycles and inflatable toys. To inflate such objects, an air source is connected to a valve of the object to be inflated. There exist many different valve types often depending on the origin of the object or type of object to be inflated. One such example is in the bicycle industry.
The most common types of bicycle tire valves are the Schrader valve 10 (also known as the “American” and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 484,509 issued in 1892), shown in FIG. 1, and the Presta valve 12 (also known as the “Sclayerand” or “French”) shown in FIG. 2, which permit the introduction or elimination of air in a tire. Each of the Schrader valve 10 and Presta valve 12 have a pin 14 that must be depressed in order to permit air to flow into or out of the tire and a thread 16 for retaining a cap (not shown). The Presta valve 12 additionally requires that a nut 17 be at least partially unscrewed so that the pin can be depressed. Other valve types are known in the bicycle industry, for example Dunlop (also known as the “Woods” or “English”) and Regina, but are less commonly used. Keeping track of which valve type is used on each object, or even each bicycle, can be difficult and can result in the need to try a number of different valve connectors or repeated trips to a workbench or store to find a different valve connector. Therefore, a need exists for an air source to be able to connect to many different, or at least the most common valve types.
Many current valve connectors for air supplies rely on the user to correctly connect the valve connector to the valve of the object to be inflated and to create a proper seal. For example, when using an air compressor at a gas station, the user is required to move and wiggle the valve connector of the air compressor on the valve for a vehicle or bicycle tire until a seal is formed. Because the valve connector for the air compressor is larger than the tire valve, there is nothing to guide the user to make a seal.
By way of another example, some hand air pumps have a valve connector with a handle that is used to secure the valve connector to a valve. Although such connectors can help hold the valve connector on the valve, such connectors provide no guide for the user to ensure a proper seal is made. Therefore, the valve connector will still often need to be moved around and re-seated, requiring the handle to be unlatched and re-latched until a seal is formed. Those who less frequently use such a valve connector may forget to lock the handle all together until he or she realizes there is no air entering the valve.
Further, the handle can be difficult to fully latch. Many such handle valve connectors use camming action, which requires greater and greater force until the handle is latched. A similarly large amount of initial force is then required to unlatch the handle. This can be difficult for children or those with physical hand limitations such as arthritis.
Positioning a handle valve connector on a valve and latching the handle in a tight space such as in between narrow spokes on a bicycle tire or when the stem of the valve is out of proper alignment can also prove difficult and frustrating. Similarly frustrating can be when trying to use force to latch the handle of a valve connector on the valve of a deflated tire, such as a bicycle tire, without pushing the valve into the tire itself or under the rim of the wheel. Therefore, a need exists for a valve connector which latches onto a valve and forms a seal without reliance on a user and requires little force to attach and remove from a valve. Embodiments of the following invention solve certain problems in existing air source connection devices and provide some or all of the foregoing benefits.